Several Nigerian senators and members of the House of Representatives have warned that their lives are in grave danger following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to withdraw police personnel from Very Important Persons (VIPs) and redeploy them to operational duties.
The lawmakers raised their concerns during a parliamentary debate on Wednesday regarding the escalating security crisis across the country. The senators argued that public officials are now prime targets for kidnappers and terrorists, while acknowledging the need to reinforce frontline security operations.
Senators argued that they frequently travel into vulnerable constituencies for oversight and political functions, relying heavily on their security operatives. They stressed that by removing protection at a time of heightened criminal activity exposes them to avoidable risks.
Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (Sokoto North) who spoke for many of his colleagues, said;
Our lives are in danger. At a time when criminals are becoming more desperate and attacks are on the rise, withdrawing police protection from senators and other VIPs exposes us to avoidable risks
In the House of Representatives, former Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase called for a review of the directive, urging the executive to clearly define the categories of officials exempted to avoid endangering those facing real and escalating threats.
The Senate passed a resolution demanding the amendment of existing law to ensure all kidnapping is treated as terrorism and carries the maximum penalty of death.
The Senate leadership resolved to formally engage the presidency and police authorities to reconsider or adjust the withdrawal policy due to the current security situation in the country.
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